


Adventures in Babysitting

by mattygroves



Series: Here in California 'Verse [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7402276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattygroves/pseuds/mattygroves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What is wrong with her?” Rodney stared at the closed door. “I can’t believe she would just abandon her child like that.”</p><p>“Relax, Rodney,” John said, “We probably won’t break him.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adventures in Babysitting

Rodney soon declared Teyla his best friend because she had a pool. It was August and temperatures were reaching over a hundred most days. Her house was a steaming block away, easily reached on evenings when Rodney actually left work at a reasonable hour. Teyla had granted John and Rodney almost unlimited access to the pool in exchange for watching Torren when she was busy inside with dinner or paperwork when her job as city manager spilled over into her off-hours. 

It usually amounted to John and Rodney sitting as still as possible up to their chins in the cool water, with Torren splashing around in his floaty suit. Rodney grumbled a bit, on principle, but it was pretty easy babysitting in exchange for pool privileges. And if Kanaan got home from the garage in time to barbecue, they were usually invited to stay for beer and burgers.

Teyla had to go and spoil it one otherwise normal Thursday evening when she popped her head out of the sliding glass door and called out to the pool, “I have to run to the store, I will return shortly.”

“What a second,” Rodney called back, “What if he cries?”

“Then he probably needs a new diaper. Swim diapers and wipes are in the chest on the patio.” And the door slid shut.

“What is wrong with her?” Rodney stared at the closed door. “I can’t believe she would just abandon her child like that.”

“Relax, Rodney,” John said, “We probably won’t break him.”

“Oh, that is comforting.”

And then Torren started crying. There was no warning. Just zero to screaming in point three seconds flat, snot and tears streaming down his brown cheeks. Rodney flapped his hands and John awkwardly tried to pat Torren’s back, making what he hoped were comforting “sh, sh,” noises.

“Look at what you did!” Rodney flailed.

“Me? It was probably you with the tone and the yelling.”

“You don’t think?” Rodney glanced at John, fear in his eyes.

“I think we have to check,” John said, similarly dismayed. “Hey, buddy, come on, it’s okay.”

“Why don’t I feel better?”

“I was talking to Torren.”

He was carrying the toddler toward the pool steps when Rodney said, “It looks like you’ve got this under control,” and John gave him the look that Rodney had learned over the past few months to interpret as ‘Get your ass over here if you ever want to have sex again.’ So Rodney went, mumbling about how it was pretty unfair, seeing as he wasn’t the one with combat training...

“See,” John said smugly to Torren, “Uncle Rodney and Uncle John have got you covered.”

A moment later:

“Oh my god,” said Rodney, pinching his nose.

“How even?” said John, strained.

Many, many wipes later, the situation was relatively under control. Torren was in a clean diaper that probably wasn’t on backwards, and giggling to himself. They took turns going into the kitchen to wash their hands—doctor-style, all the way up to their elbows—and when Rodney came out he said, “Let’s never have children.”

He immediately began backpedalling when he saw the way John froze. After a minute, John shook himself, still holding Torren, and said, “No, no, it’s fine, I just—I didn’t realize we were there yet.”

“At kids? We’re not. Forget I said anything, I’m an idiot.” 

“No, not that. You said ‘let’s.’ ‘Let us.’ I hadn’t realized we were an ‘us’ like that. Really an ‘us.’ But we are,” he leaned over to give him a quick, closed-mouth kiss.

“Oh thank god,” said Rodney, returning the kiss enthusiastically until John pulled back.

“The kid,” John said to Rodney’s hurt look, glancing significantly at the toddler in his arms.

“Oh, right.”

A moment later, Teyla came home, dumping a few reusable grocery bags on the tile counters and joining them on the patio. 

“How did it go?” she asked innocently, as if the smell coming from the kitchen trash can wasn’t clue enough.

Rodney pursed his lips, taking Torren from John and depositing him in Teyla’s arms where he snuggled happily into her neck. 

“We have to go. Your spawn has been re-diapered. Never do that to me again.” And he grabbed John by the arm and dragged him through the side gate, barely giving him a chance to grab their towels and flip-flops, trying to ignore Teyla’s laughter behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I love seeing your kudos and comments!!


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